Second Star to the Right

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty One

Matt Akens couldn't sleep after his phone call with Wendy. She had been sobbing into the phone and he had been unable to comfort her properly. He couldn't wait until the next day when he could hug her and tell her everything would be okay.

The next morning he bolted out of his house and ran to the school, hoping she would be in the library. But she wasn't.

She wasn't at her locker either or in homeroom. In fact, Wendy didn't show up at school all day. Or the next or the next or the next.

Finally, Matt couldn't take it anymore. After school, he decided to walk over to Wendy's apartment. Cassie caught him on the way out.

"Where are you going Matt?" she purred.

"Home," he answered bluntly.

"Mind if I join you?" Cassie blinked her eyes quickly while smiling.

Matt noticed the excessive amount of mascara sticking her eyelashes together.

"Yes," Matt nodded and shoved her out of the way. "I do mind."

"Matt!" Cassie pouted as he walked down the sidewalk.

As soon as he was out of her sight, he started to run to Wendy's building. Matt reached it and threw open the door. He walked over to the receptionist and she looked up.

"How may I help you?" she asked in a monotone voice.

"What apartment do the Darlings live in?"

She leaned forwards, "We can't give out classified information to strangers."

"Please," Matt sighed. "I'm a friend of Wendy's, I need to see her."

She looked at him, as if mildly interested, "Wendy Darling? Good luck talking to her. Second floor, room 2D."

"Thanks," Matt smiled and pounded up the stairs.

"Tell me what she says when you come back," she snorted, chuckling to herself.

Matt ignored her and kept running up the stairs. He got to the second floor and found the door that read 2D. Matt knocked and seconds later the door opened.

A boy with round glasses opened it. Matt recognized him from the day he walked Wendy home, he was her brother who had yelled to them out the window.

"Who are you?" the boy asked rudely.

"Matt Akens," Matt introduced.

"Oh yeah," he said, still not bothering to be polite. "You're the boy who walked my sister home. I'm John Darling."

"Is Wendy here?" Matt asked.

John sighed, "You'd better come in."

Matt stepped in and John shut the door. Matt followed John down a hall and into another hall. He put his hand on a doorknob and opened it.

"Go in," John told him bluntly and Matt walked in.

As soon as he set foot in it, he knew it was Wendy's room. It had the same faint smell of lavender hanging in the air as the one Wendy smelled like.

Matt looked around and saw clothes strewn across the floor and papers blowing. The bed sheets were a mess. Matt walked over and touched them. They were cold, as if days without use.

There was a piece if paper taped by a window, but Matt didn't want know what it said, he already had a pretty good idea of what happened to Wendy.

He walked over to the paper and read it anyway.

I hope you're happy, Dad, it read.

Matt stepped back.

"She ran away, bro," John said. "Days ago."

Matt's heart sank. "I should go."

"Really?" John asked, annoyance ringing in his tone. "Or would you like to look around the Museum of Wendy longer and breath in the scent of lavender? You're not the first to come here and you won't be the last."

"I'm sorry to intrude," Matt said quietly and walked out of the room.

He walked quickly down the hall and out the door. John slammed it loudly behind him. Matt could have sworn he heard him mutter,

"And stay out!"

Matt walked back down the stairs and into the lobby. The receptionist looked up at him as he walked to the door.

"So, I'm interested to hear," she smirked. "What did she say?"

"Not a damn thing," Matt answered bitterly. "Thanks for your concern."

He burst out through the door and walked down the street quickly. Wendy had left, even though she had promised not to. Matt tried to calm himself, but he knew he wouldn't be right until Wendy came back.

If she came back.